HEAT-BOBCATS
Bobcats look to avoid first-round sweep by Heat
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Coach Steve Clifford says if the Charlotte Bobcats hope to avoid a first-round sweep by the Miami Heat they’re going to need someone other than Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker to come through on offense.
The Heat double-teamed Jefferson after he scored 15 points in the first quarter Saturday night and hounded Walker en route to a 98-85 victory in Game 3.
Game 4 is Monday night in Charlotte.
Clifford says “they were very aggressive sending a second defender at Al and much more aggressive with Kemba. That means there are other opportunities with other guys and we have to take advantage of that.”
While Jefferson and Walker were 12 of 20 from the field, the rest of the Bobcats shot just 33 percent in Game 3.
CLIPPERS-STERLING-JORDAN
Jordan ‘disgusted’ by alleged Sterling comments
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Michael Jordan says he’s both disgusted and outraged by the racist comments allegedly made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
Jordan released a statement Sunday addressing the matter as both a current owner and a former player. He says that as an owner, “I’m completely disgusted that a fellow team owner could hold such sickening and offensive views.”
As a former player, Jordan says “I’m completely outraged.”
An audio recording obtained by TMZ alleges that Sterling made racist comments to a girlfriend, including urging her not to bring black friends to Clippers games. The NBA and the Clippers are investigating, including whether the male voice on the recording is in fact Sterling’s.
SEC SCHEDULING
SEC sticking with 8-game league football schedule
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The Southeastern Conference has decided to stick with its current football scheduling format of eight league games and a permanent non-division rival.
The conference’s presidents and chancellors approved the schedule format Sunday at a special meeting in Atlanta.
The one change to the SEC’s schedule format will affect nonconference scheduling. Starting in 2016, all SEC teams will be required to play at least one game against a team from one of the other Big 5 conferences. But even that rule shouldn’t change much. Every SEC school routinely plays at least one team from those conferences per season.
The SEC had been considering adding a ninth conference game and doing away with permanent inter-division opponents such as Alabama-Tennessee and LSU-Florida.
HAWKS-PACERS
Pacers turn focus to consistency against Hawks
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Now that Indiana has evened the series with Atlanta, the Pacers can focus on fixing another big problem — playing with consistency.
The last time Indiana won two straight with its regular starters on the court was mid-March, and it seems every time the Pacers have had a chance to relax, they have.
Coach Frank Vogel is hoping things change Monday night when the Pacers have a chance to take control of this best-of-seven playoff series by protecting their home court. The Pacers did that better than any team in the league during the regular season.
But Atlanta has won two of its last three at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and a Game 5 win would send the Hawks home with a chance to end the series.
REDS-BRAVES
Freeman singles in 10th, Braves edge Reds 1-0
ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman’s single to the center-field wall scored Jason Heyward from second base with two outs in the 10th inning on Sunday, lifting the Atlanta Braves to a 1-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Cincinnati’s Johnny Cueto and Atlanta’s Julio Teheran each allowed only three hits in eight scoreless innings before giving way to relievers.
With two outs in the 10th, Heyward hit a single up the middle off J.J. Hoover (1-3). B.J. Upton followed with a grounder that bounced off Hoover’s glove toward shortstop for an infield hit.
Left-hander Manny Parra was summoned to face Freeman, who hit a drive that bounced on the warning track beyond center fielder Billy Hamilton’s reach.
